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| Sunday, 14 December 2003 |
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PM tells UNP Convention: 'Prepared to go before people' by Ariyarathne Ganegoda People of this country elected us to govern this country. It is the very same people who could take away the powers given to us at an election. We are prepared to go before the people with confidence seeking a stronger mandate in the event President decides to call fresh election. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe made this observation while addressing the 49th annual convention of the UNP held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium Colombo, yesterday. UNP representatives from various parts of the country were present. At the Annual Convention they unanimously re-elected the present office bearers of the Party for the current year. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe told the Convention that nowhere in the Constitution it has been stated that the Defence Ministry should come under the President. The Constitution is written in such a way for the President to work with the Majority Party in Parliament. Hence to act contrary to that was a violation of the people's verdict. Speaking further Premier Wickremesinghe recalled that the time they went for election in 2001 was the most difficult time in the Sri Lankan history. Two years ago at the General Election held on December 5, 2001, the people of this country elected the United National Party led United National Front to form the government. He told the Party members that once he took the reins he was Prime Minister to the whole country and to all communities. He went onto say that they realised the country was facing hard time and hence we decided to tell the truth to the people without hiding the facts and without giving false promises. We decided to tell the people what the government could do and what it could not do in the circumstances in which the government was placed. We also decided to put a stop to the war within the first two years and improve the economy. " And I asked the country to support us and bear with us for two years. I have nothing to give, tight your belts, suffer and have patience. Then we can take the country forward. First what we did was to stop the war. We declared cease fire with the LTTE and brought normalcy to day to day life. We linked North and South and commenced talks with the LTTE. "To end the war permanently our government put forward a set of proposals to the LTTE and for the first time, the LTTE which has been clamouring for a separate state all the while has put on the table their set of proposals. We also received the proposals by the Muslims and all these lead us to look for a political solution to the problem. LTTE has stated in public that they would not go back to war. While stating that the President has the right to call for a fresh election Prime Minister said that his Party would go before the people seeking a fresh mandate with a strong set of MPs and said that he was confident the people would vote them into power. Congratulatory message sent by Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader and Minister Rauff Hakeem, Upcountry People's Front leader and Minister P.Chandrasekeran were read out. Ministers Deshabandu Karu Jayasuriya and W.J.M Lokubandara also spoke. A dancing recital was presented by the students of Channa- Upuli Dancing Academy and Rukantha Gunatilleke intoned the song " Api Hadamu Aluth Ratak" which was sung by the participants. |
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